Velocity (14 page)

I wanted to tell him about what I’d learned about Dexter being my relative, but I couldn’t bring myself to reveal it. I wanted to wait until we were alone.

“What did you see in your vision, Ariel?” Hugh asked hopefully. “Anything that might help us?”

“Everything was pretty much as you said. There was a fire that distracted them, then you and the other adults came running in. But I don’t think just bringing in parents is going to stop them this time.”

Hugh stood back up, shoving the eviction papers and the deed of sale into his briefcase. “I’m sorry this is coming down on you, Ariel.”

“It’s not.” I shook my head.

“We really need to find out Thornhill’s current situation. Mine isn’t the only business they’ve gotten rid of. The sports supply store just went under, too, and they were doing great last year.”

“So I just need to go back to a recent point in time. Maybe the meeting when they decided on taking Erasmus,” I said eagerly. “I’m guessing they just wanted you away from their office, but who knows?”

He rested his hands on my shoulders. “Take a little break first, Ariel. I can tell that the grounding stone is having a physical effect on you. It’s all you’ve been talking about lately. I told you, if it gets bad, we’re stopping.”

“It’s not bad,” I insisted, but I didn’t meet his eyes. I could still feel the touch of Eleanor’s hard, strong hand on my shoulder.

CHAPTER 12

“YOU’VE GOTTEN BETTER
at holding still. Must be all that grounding stone practice,” Theo said. “You could come be my model in class.” She was sketching a picture of me on her easel as we sat in her room. A few days had passed since Hugh got the eviction notice, and we were catching up.

“Probably. Not to mention all of the lying around I’ve been doing.”

“How are things with Henry?” she asked innocently, staring at the image she was sketching. I was doodling a picture of her in my notebook, and although I was trying, her face was still a perfect circle and her fingers looked like hot dogs.

“I haven’t talked to him much,” I admitted, tossing my artistic mess on the floor. “It’s been over a week since we’ve had a conversation.”

“Why is that?” she asked, surprised.

“It’s hard to explain. When I went back into those visions, Phillip looked and acted so much like Henry, they could have been twins. And my dad was talking about how he thinks Henry is going to unavoidably be like Phillip someday. I mean, how can he resist the allure of power? He says that he loves me―in fact, I know he does, but I just feel uncomfortable.”

“You need to talk to him about it. Take my advice, even if I don’t always take it,” Theo said seriously. “If you love each other, don’t let this stupidity and not talking come between you.”

I was surprised that she felt that way, especially considering it was Henry. She must have really been warming up to him.

“Just let him know that if he breaks your heart again, I’m yanking out his for payback,” she said sweetly. That was more like it.

“I miss so many people,” I said, admiring how much prettier I looked in her sketch than I did in real life. “I miss my mom, I miss Jenna. I miss when things were simple, when we could talk about boys and dresses and not this looming evil. Before I suspected I was part angel.”

“The last part’s got to be the kicker,” Theo said, joining me on the bed.

“I feel bad that I don’t miss Jenna as much as I expected. I guess it’s because I knew she was dead the whole time and I was living a dream.”

I started to cry, and Theo gave me a big hug, squeezing me tightly.

“You sound so serious. Is there something else?” She tilted up my chin and studied my face. “There is, isn’t there?”

I knew I couldn’t hide it, in the interest of being honest with my friend. “Yeah, I went back to a time when Eleanor was at Bernhardt. That bad day she was referring to? She found out that she was John Dexter’s illegitimate child with one of the orphans. He must be the Luminos bloodline that I’m a part of.”

Theo sat back, her red lipsticked mouth open in shocked awe. “Whoa, that’s heavy.”

“It explains why I was always called there, from the beginning. And why that black dog called me, I think he’s actually Dexter now, but I don’t know how or why.”

“Have you told your dad?”

“Not yet. It’s such a big thing. I don’t know how he’ll react and he’s already got so much going on.”

“He’s done this whole opposition for years. Trust him; he’s got a handle on it. Hey, at least your dad isn’t soup with too many noodles, like mine.”

“How are things with Richard?” Richard Weaver was her father, and I didn’t like him. From what I’d experienced, he didn’t treat her very well. Theo had told me he had mental issues, but I didn’t feel like it have him a free pass to hurt her.

“I told him off. He was using me as a slave and I finally just got sick of it.”

“Good for you.”

She bit the end of her pencil and looked up at me through her lashes, flecks of green glitter sparkling on the edges. “And I’m moving out to Chicago as soon as school is out.”

“I’ll miss you. More than anything,”

“I’d bring you out with me. Just say the word.”

“I have my own plans, if I make it that far. Some part of me really thinks that’s not going to happen. I sent in my acceptance to Washington. I want to get as far away from Hell as I can, as long as I’m still alive for graduation.”

“Don’t say that,” Theo scolded. “Now hold that pose so I can finish my picture.”

###

The next day at school, I approached Henry. Prepared to be on the defensive about my recent actions, I clutched my books in front of me like a shield. He was standing by his locker, looking like he hadn’t slept in a while. He tossed the books in his arms back in and grabbed another set. Turning his head, he noticed me, but his expression didn’t change.

“Hey,” I said.

“Hey,” he croaked, his brown eyes darkening a little.

“How have you been?”

“Uh, confused.”

“Where’s your pin?” I asked, rubbing my own empty collar.

“I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing one of those things,” he said. “You should know that.”

I just stared at him, the words in my brain drying up.

“Is that all you wanted to ask me? Since you suddenly don’t want to trust me anymore?”

“Henry, it’s not like that.”

“That’s how it seems,” Henry said. He leaned in closer since we weren’t alone. “I thought you loved me. You said you loved me. I love you. And yet you keep pushing me away.”

“I’ve been doing some heavy stuff.” I glanced around me and lowered my own voice. “With the grounding stone I told you about.”

“So why don’t you tell me about it?” He gnawed at his bottom lip, searching my face.

I shut my eyes, not believing I was about to say it. “Because I think you might be more like your father than you realize.”

When I looked at him, his face was cold and empty. “I’m nothing like my father.”

“I know you try not to be.”

“I don’t have to try.”

“Well, let’s get together and talk about things,” I said quickly. I could sense he was pulling away again, but I didn’t want him to go. “Let’s meet up at the hill, like old times.”

“Fine.” He said, slamming the locker and stalking away.

###

I set out that night to go meet with Henry. Even though I didn’t know how the night would turn out, I did my makeup and wore a red sweater that he’d complimented me on. Hugh wouldn’t have approved, but I didn’t give him the chance to say no. I told him I’d be studying at Theo’s, and while I didn’t relish lying to him, I didn’t feel like I had a choice.

He was finishing up his packing at Erasmus. It was the first week of March, but despite the early thaw, it was beginning to snow again. My car had been acting up since winter started, not wanting to start, but I got it moving after it had warmed up.

At a stop sign, I caught a glimpse of red out my mirror. Goosebumps popped up on my arms. I looked closer at the rear view mirror and saw a red flag on a black Cadillac behind me, and let out a sigh of relief. The Cadillac’s paint was shiny and immaculate.
Nice car.
I wondered who it belonged to.

Even though I’d had my car for a while, I still wasn’t entirely comfortable driving in snow yet, especially since it was getting dark. Traffic was fairly heavy and stop and go, which didn’t help. I slammed on my brakes again. I turned onto the next street.

I glanced in the rear view mirror again idly at the next light and frowned. The Cadillac was still there, its gentle cloud of exhaust trailing behind. I could barely make out the dark shape of the driver behind the tinted windshield.

I kept driving. The Cadillac stayed behind me. I was starting to get paranoid. Was it following me? I’d never seen the car before, but it had been behind me almost the whole way. But why? Was Phillip or one of his drivers spying on me? The hairs on my scalp prickled and the goosebumps returned.

It was a likely possibility.

Instead of taking the direct route to the hill, I changed course and took the longer way around. It would add ten minutes, but hardly anyone used the old back roads. If it was someone just driving in Hell to another destination, they’d certainly turn.

I flicked on the blinker, but the Cadillac didn’t. That made me feel a little foolish. I turned onto the road, and for a second thought I was alone. But then the Cadillac swerved onto the road too. My heart started to thump in fear.

I took another turn, now not really thinking as much about getting to my destination as I was about getting away. The black car turned with me, keeping a maddeningly even pace.

There was a little gas station ahead. I turned on the blinker and slowed down. The car sped up for a second; it was going to hit me. I swung into the gas station and the Cadillac rushed by. I pulled up into a parking space, beginning to hyperventilate, and shut off the car. I stared down the road, breathing hard. I wondered if I should text Henry and cancel the whole thing.

My phone vibrated in the console, as if in response my thoughts.

I picked it up with shaking hands.

Where are you?

On my way,
I texted back.
Got delayed because of snow.

I wanted to tell him in person.

Back on the road, I navigated back to the main street. Maybe I really had imagined it. Or maybe, still in my driving infancy, I had made some stupid mistake that had irritated the Cadillac driver and he’d just been expressing some road rage.

Or maybe it was another of Phillip’s threats.

Henry was sitting cross-legged on the hood of his car when I arrived, watching the snow. Music was playing from inside the car. I noticed he had a little bit of scruff on his chin. As I came around, his face was still emotionless. But when he saw me, his eyes softened.

“Hi, gorgeous,” he murmured, holding his arms open for me. I went and wrapped my arms around him, breathing in his woodsy scent. This was my Henry, after all, not Phillip Rhodes’ clone. He nuzzled his face into my hair and sighed.

“I think someone was following me,” I told him as I pulled back.

“Really?” He was instantly on high alert. “Where? What kin of car?”

“A really nice Cadillac. It followed me pretty close for a long time.”

“Did they see you turn onto the road to come here?”

I shook my head, rubbing my arms from the sudden chill. “No. I pulled into a gas station and they drove away. I didn’t want them finding this place. It’s one of the few safe places left.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah.” I paused, biting my lower lip. “I’m not just being a paranoid freak?”

“Of course not. It was probably someone sent by my dad.” He ran his hand through his hair, walking with his back to me. “I’m sorry, Ariel. I never wanted you in danger. Between this and the eviction and the threats…maybe you really should get out of town.”

“I’m not leaving and neither is my dad. We’re fighting back against Phillip.” This wasn’t going the way I had planned. I mentally prepared myself to get back in my car. “You can either be with us or against us.”

“Ariel…” He crossed the distance between us.

“I don’t want to lose you,” I said, growing uncomfortable with just how emotional I was getting. “I love you, but I’m not going to let Phillip win. He is about to bring evil he doesn’t even understand into the world.”

“I’ll always be on your side,” Henry said. He looked like he was in pain. “I promise. Tell me what you know.”

We sat on the hood of his BMW, and I explained what had happened from the time we went to Georgia until now. I only left out two things―my apparent angel-infused blood, and my connection to Dexter. I hadn’t told anyone but Theo about that yet. He listened, not saying a word, the entire time.

“Phillip tried to do this ritual back in his high school days,” I concluded. “It was like a test drive, but it failed. He looked and acted so much like you, I guess it just threw me off.”